Valve for aerosol containers and the like



7 Aug. 15, 1967 A. WITTERSHEIM 3,335,920 VALVE FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4, 1965 Fig.1 f s l2 V 5 Q HI f [V4 11 J 6 mi; 1 I u, I I W! T i f 5 w l M {'16 r7 I --T I l 1 Adam Wiffersheim In veniar- United States Patent I O 3,335,920 VALVE FOR AEROSOLflggNTAINERS AND THE L Adam Wittersheim, Nieder-Ramstadt-Trautheim, Germany, assignor to Fritz Albert Riegler K.G., Nieder- Ramstadt, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,315 Claims priority, application Germany, June 18, 1964, R 38,150 5 Claims. (Cl. 222402.24)

ABSTRACT OF TIE DISCLOSURE Valve assembly for an aerosol or like container wherein a manually depressible actuating member has a stem passing downwardly into the container through an annular sealing membrane which spans a restricted opening of a cap positioned in a filling and discharging aperture of the container, the stem having a lateral flange bearing upon an intermediate zone of the annular membrane above a clearance formed below the membrane within the cap whereby, upon depression of the actuating member, the inner periphery of the membrane is deflected downwardly and distended to allow the passage of fluid along the outer surface of the stem and through one or more spaces left between the stem and the flange.

My present invention relates to self-sealing valves for aerosol containers and like receptacles in which an actuating member or head is depressible to permit communication with the interior of the receptacle.

Aerosol containers and like receptacles designed to receive a substance to be dispensed and/or a propellant therefor have frequently been provided with inwardly depressible buttonlike head members designed to unblock a passage in a valve body establishing communication between the exterior and the interior of the receptacle. Such valves can permit charging of the receptacle with the propellant in a liquid or gaseous form and are again actuatable to permit the discharge of the contents of the receptacle under the pressure of the propellant which generally has a substantial vapor pressure at the temperature of use of the unit. Many types of self-sealing valves, which block the escape of the contents of the receptacle by virtue of a fluid-pressure bias of the valve member in valve-closing direction, have been proposed and, for the most part, make use of a rigid sealing disk which is urged by a spring against a valve seat on a stationary portion of the valve body. This arrangement is relatively complex and often makes it difficult to produce the valve assemblies economically and at low cost; this is all the more problematical since, in many cases, the receptacles are intended to be thrown away. The fact that the valve assemblies involve conventional valve plates, valve seats and spring means for urging the valve plate against the valve seat often produces difliculties with respect to contamination of the seating area and assembly of the valve. The springs, usually composed of steel, are quite small and susceptible to corrosion.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved valve assembly in which the disadvantages of conventional aerosol-container valves can be obviated and which can be made with fewer parts and more economically than possible heretofore.

This object and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, by the provision of a valve system for an aerosol container or the like which comprises support means surrounding an aperture communicating with the interior of the aerosol canister or other receptacle, an annular resiliently deformable sealing membrane spanning said aperture and provided with an opening inwardly of said support means, and an actuating member received within and normally blocking this opening but actuatable for distending the resiliently deformable member and thereby enlarging the opening to permit passage of fluids between the interior and exterior of the receptacle through this opening.

According to a more specific feature of this invention, the actuating member includes a stem received in the opening of the membrane and, advantageously, sealingly engaged by the inner surface defining the opening or window of the membrane in the normal or closed condition of the assembly. The actuating member is, moreover, provided with an engagement surface extending transversely to this stem and surrounding same while lying against at least a marginal portion of the membrane surrounding its window so that, upon depression of the actuating member to urge this surface against the membrane, the peripheral edge of the annular surface engages and deflects the membrane to stretch it in the regionof the opening and form a clearance between the stem and the wall of the opening. The actuating member can be fluted, channeled or otherwise provided with formations defining fluid passages on the side of the membrane engaged by the transverse surface of the actuating member so that the fluid traversing the clearance formed between the stem and the distended membrane can also flow through these passages into or out of the receptacle. To this end, the actuating member may be provided with an internal cavity adapted to communicate with a spray head or the like terminating at one or more passages in this transverse surface adjacent the stem.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in the construction of the support means in peripheral engagement with the membrane. The support means of this invention can comprise a generally cylindrical tubular boss formed integrally in a cap designed to be mounted in the mouth and generally of thin-walled construction; this cap is usually composed of sheet metal or other highstrength material. Within the tubular boss of the cap, which can be provided with an annular overhang or flange defining the aperture spanned by the membrane, I provide a support body having a peripheral lip surrounding a central cavity registering with this aperture and clamping the membrane against the annular overhang. The membrane thus defines with the support body a chamber into which the stem of the actuating member projects and can be deflected into this chamber a previously described. The overhang, moreover, snugly surrounds a cylindrical portion of the actuating member projecting from the cap so as to center this member; the transverse surface of the latter is then, according to this invention, constituted as an annular flange underlying the overhang and biased into all-around contact therewith by the membrane disposed beneath the flange. The valve-closing force is thus partly a consequence of the inherent resilience of the membrane and partly the result of the internal pressure of the receptacle. The actuating member and the support body are preferably provided with mutually engageable abutment means spaced apart in the direction of displacement of the actuating member but interengageable to restrict axial displacement in the valve-opening direction, thereby limiting strain upon the membrane.

The valve assembly described above is certainly more simple than conventional valve arrangements and obviates many of the disadvantages thereof. Thus the actuating member and support body can be conveniently injectionmolded from a synthetic resin (e.g. a polyvinyl chloride or polyamide) which is resistant to corrosion by the contents of the receptacle. The membrane can be composed of an elastomeric material, e.g. a synthetic or natural rubher or a stretchable synthetic resin, which also is more or less immune to corrosion. Moreover, the arrangement permits the ready filling of the container without damage to the valve at the elevated pressures developed during introduction of the propellant.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view through a valve assembly according to this invention, the aerosol receptacle spray head and siphon tube being shown in dot-dash lines; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing essential elements of the assembly upon actuation thereof.

In the drawing, I show a valve assembly V suitable for the filling of an aerosol container or other receptacle C upon removal of a spray head S therefrom, but adapted to dispense an atomized liquid, fog or mist M upon replacement of the spray head S. The valve assembly V comprises a sheet-metal cap 1 having an outwardly turned edge 1' adapted to be rolled under or secured to the corresponding edge C of the mouth of the aerosol container C to mount the cap 1 in the mouth of the container. The cap 1 is provided with an outwardly extending, generally cylindrical tubular boss 2 having an inwardly turned overhang 2' defining an opening 2" in wihch an actuating member 3 is axially shiftable. The actuating member 3 is formed with a transverse ring-shaped flange 4 underlying the overhang 2' and normally held thereagainst by a membranelike elastomeric sealing disk 5 disposed axially inwardly of the flange 4. This flange prevents the actuating member 3 from falling out of the cap 1 via the opening 2".

The elastically deformable sealing disk or ring 5 constitutes a membrane spanning the opening 2" and can be composed of rubber or a stretchable synthetic resin. The membrane is held in place by a cylindrical hollow support body or inset 6 whose upper extremity is formed with a beveled cylindrical formation 7 engaging the membrane 5 and clamping it against the overhang 2. The inner surface of the formation 7 converges axially in the direction of the valve-opening displacement of the actuating memher to permit inward deflection of the membrane (FIG. 2). The inset 6 is held in place within the tubular boss 2 by an annular bulge 8, which is shown completely formed on the left-hand side of FIG. 1 but not fully bent into the circumferential channel 9 of the support body 6 on the right-hand side of FIG. 1 in order to illustrate this channel more clearly.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the membrane 5 is provided with a central opening 5' which, in an undistended state of the membrane, is defined by the central stem 10 of the actuating member 3, this stem being hugged by the membrane 5 with its inherent tendency toward elastic contraction. The chamber 11 within the support body 6 is thus sealed around the periphery of the stem 10 in the position of the valve illustrated in FIG. 1. When, however, the actuating member 3 is displaced inwardly, the flange 4 deflects the membrane 5 which is distended to form a clearance around the stem 10 and permit the passage of fluid from one side of the membrane to the other.

The actuating member 3 is formed with flutes or the like to define a plurality of axially extending passages 12 surrounding the stem 10 and terminating at the surface 4' of the flange against which the membrane 5 normally lies. The passages 12 open into :a central outlet 13 by means of which fluid from the interior of the receptacle C can pass into a spray head S which, in any conventional manner, can be mounted upon the actuating member 3. When the spray head S is not in place, the valve can be used for filling, in which case a propellant can be introduced via the passages 12 and 13 and the opening 5 (FIG. 2) into the. receptacle C when the actuating member 3 is depressed by the pressure of the 4 fluid or mechanical force. When the mechanical or fluid pressure is released, the valve assembly returns to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, and the membrane 5 again hugs the stem 10 to prevent escape of the fluid. In general, only the propellant is introduced through the valve, the material to be dispensed having been introduced prior to the mounting of the cap 1 in the mouth of the container C. Upon its introduction, the propellant mixes with the fluid to be dispensed and can entrain it through a bore 17 in the support body. A spigot-like formation 16 is advantageously molded integrally with the support body 6 to define an attachment member for a siphon tube T or the like extending to the bottom of the container when the latter is to dispense a liquid mist. The bore 17 communicates with a channel 18 which is offset from the axis of the body 6 and opens into the chamber 11.

The ofiset of channel 18 permits the central portion 14 of the support body to constitute an abutment for the stem 10 preventing inward displacement of the actuating member 3 beyond the limits of elastic deformability of membrane 5. Best results are obtained when the abutment 14 is constituted as a recess adapted to accommodate the inner end of the stem 10 when the actuating member 3 is depressed through the maximum distance. It may be noted that valves of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 have been capable of retaining pressures of up to 6 atm. (gauge) from the time of filling of the receptacles until their use. The support body 6 and the actuating member 3 can each be formed integrally (i.e. as one piece) by injection-molding.

It may also be noted that an important feature of the present valve lies in the relatively large size of the throughflow opening defined by the distended membrane so that large quantities of propellant can rapidly be introduced into the receptacle without being limited by the rate at which the fluid can be dispensed through a spray head. This is especially important when large numbers of relatively small receptacles must be filled. It will be apparent that the present invention admits of many modifications which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly for an aerosol or like container having a filling and discharging aperture, comprising a cap positionable in said aperture and forming a generally cylindrical housing with a restricted opening at the top and a passage at the bottom; a resiliently deformable annular sealing membrane held horizontally by its outer periphery in said housing and partly underlying said opening; an actuating member vertically slidable in said opening and carrying a depending stem normally in fluidtight engagement with the inner periphery of said membrane, said housing forming a clearance communieating with said passage underneath said membrane and around the lower end of said stem for enabling downward deflection of an inner peripheral zone of said membrane; and an annular horizontal flange on said actuating member hearing from above upon an intermediate area of said membrane above said clearance for downwardly deflecting and distending said inner peripheral zone upon depression of said actuating member whereby a space is formed between said membrane and said stem for enabling a flow of fluid externally of the latter, said flange defining with said stem at least one generally vertical channel for completing a path for said fluid between said passage and the outside of said housing.

2. A valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing is provided with an insert fitted into said cap and clamping said membrane therebetween while defining said clearance below said membrane, said insert having a downward extension penetrated by said passage.

3. A valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said insert forms a stop for said stem below said clear ance for limiting the downward displacement of said actuating member, said housing further having a bore laterally offset from said stop and communicating with both said passage and said clearance.

4. A valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said insert has a peripheral groove below said clearance interlockingly engaged by an inner peripheral shoulder of said cap.

5. A valve assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said insert is formed with an upwardly diverging upstanding annular rib engaging an outer peripheral zone of said membrane along a radius larger than that of said flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Abplanalp 222-320 X Ferry et a1. 251-353 X Fead et a1. 222394 Beard et al. 222-394 X Beard 222-394 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. F' R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AN AEROSOL OR LIKE CONTAINER HAVING A FILLING AND DISCHARGING APERTURE, COMPRISING A CAP POSITIONABLE IN SAID APERTURE AND FORMING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING WITH A RESTRICTED OPENING AT THE TOP AND A PASSAGE AT THE BOTTOM; A RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE ANNULAR SEALING MEMBRANE HELD HORIZONTALLY BY ITS OUTER PERIPHERY IN SAID HOUSING AND PARTLY UNDERLYING SAID OPENING; AN ACTUATING MEMBER VERTICALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID OPENING AND CARRYING A DEPENDENING STEM NORMALLY IN FLUIDTIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID MEMBRANE, SAID HOUSING FORMING A CLEARANCE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE UNDERNEATH SAID MEMBRANE AND AROUND THE LOWER END OF SAID STEM FOR ENABLING DOWNWARD DEFLECTION OF AN INNER PERIPHERAL ZONE OF SAID MEM- 